Vermont Vegetable & Berry Growers Association

This session will open with information from Judy Rosovsky, Vermont State Entomologist, about the spotted lanternfly, an invasive planthopper that is spreading throughout the Northeast. It is both a public nuisance and an agricultural pest. She’ll give an update on its movement northward, and an overview of its biology and host plants. We will then learn about jumping worms, another emergent agric...

Pollinator habitat plantings – what growers are doing, NRCS funding- Dan Pratt, Astarte Farm and Tom Akin and Toby Alexander, NRCS-Vermont.   The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers robust opportunities to support farm conservation efforts while also considering the financial sustainability of farm enterprises. You may already be familiar with NRCS programs that off...

Dr. Lynn Adler is a professor at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Her work is centered on understanding the power of flowers in pollinator health and the role of flowers in pollinator-disease interactions. She was recently awarded a Northeast SARE research grant to test the potential for cut flower pollen to improve bumble bee health and has engaged in research focused on the medicinal val...

Economic value of wild pollinators to blueberry farms: research and grower perspectives with Rachel Gray, Owl’s Head Blueberry Farm and Dr. Taylor Ricketts, UVM.   Rachel Gray is co-owner to Owl’s Head Blueberry farm in Richmond, VT. She manages 3000 blueberry bushes on 5 acres with her family. In this webinar, Rachel will share her experience as a blueberry farmer, the financial conside...

Leanne Porter, Farm First and Valerie Woodhouse, Honey Field Farm.   For over 10 years, Farm First has been Vermont's resource for farmers and their families managing stress, offering referrals and short-term counseling. In this session, presenters will discuss the unique stressors of farming, and the resources available to strengthen resiliency, including the new Farmer Peer Network. Pa...